# Powershell script in Notepad works but not as .ps1 **URL:** \ **Category:** PowerShell Help\ **Created:** [November 12, 2018, 7:59am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659 "2018-11-12T07:59:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jasonleech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@jasonleech](https://forums.powershell.org/u/jasonleech)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 7:59am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/1 "2018-11-12T07:59:45Z")
Hi, I have a powershell script, that I created in word, which opens O365 and gets mailbox sizes etc automatically, then closes. To run it, I normally copy the text into powershell straight from Notepad, and it all works as expected. I thought I’d change it to a .ps1 extension, and just pull it directly into powershell, but I’m getting 403 event errors, and the powershell window opens and closes so rapidly I can’t get a handle on the error? Any ideas?   thanks Jason [pre] $Path = “F:\Data\2 - Reports\XXXXX” $Password = Get-Content $Path\O365Pwd.txt | ConvertTo-SecureString $User = Get-Content $Path\O365User.txt $Credential = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PsCredential($User,$Password) Import-Module MsOnline Connect-MsolService -Credential $Credential $Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri [https://outlook.office365.com/powershell-liveid/](https://outlook.office365.com/powershell-liveid/) -Credential $Credential -Authentication Basic -AllowRedirection Import-PSSession $Session $H = hostname $Date = ((Get-Date).ToString(‘dd-MM-yyyy’)) [/pre] this is part of the code (I have the O365 modules installed, and as stated, if i copy direct from Notepad into powershell works fine) ---
**Author:** ![jasonleech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@jasonleech](https://forums.powershell.org/u/jasonleech)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 8:01am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/2 "2018-11-12T08:01:55Z")
sorry typo - I created the original script in Notepad! ---
**Author:** ![kvprasoon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/kvprasoon/32/4449_2.png) [@kvprasoon](https://forums.powershell.org/u/kvprasoon)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 8:12am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/3 "2018-11-12T08:12:59Z")
Can you post the error message ? ---
**Author:** ![jasonleech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@jasonleech](https://forums.powershell.org/u/jasonleech)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 8:28am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/4 "2018-11-12T08:28:48Z")
I don’t actually get to see the error, the window closes too quickly…but I have the following from EventViewer: [pre] Log Name: Windows PowerShell Source: PowerShell Date: 12/11/2018 13:17:54 Event ID: 403 Task Category: Engine Lifecycle Level: Information Keywords: Classic User: N/A Computer: Jason-XXXX Description: Engine state is changed from Available to Stopped. Details: NewEngineState=Stopped PreviousEngineState=Available SequenceNumber=15 HostName=ConsoleHost HostVersion=5.1.17134.228 HostId=152fe65e-9439-433e-a9ab-2d17e5bb7a1c HostApplication=C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe F:\Data\2 - Reports\XXXX\4 - XXXX O365 Mailbox List Report.ps1 EngineVersion=5.1.17134.228 RunspaceId=6f2a43f8-2764-4d49-9158-c31bddc726fc PipelineId= CommandName= CommandType= ScriptName= CommandPath= CommandLine= Event Xml: \ \ \ \403\ \4\ \4\ \0x80000000000000\ \ \3492\ \Windows PowerShell\ \JasonXXXXX\ \ \ \ \Stopped\ \Available\ \ NewEngineState=Stopped PreviousEngineState=Available SequenceNumber=15 HostName=ConsoleHost HostVersion=5.1.17134.228 HostId=152fe65e-9439-433e-a9ab-2d17e5bb7a1c HostApplication=C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe F:\Data\2 - Reports\XXXX\4 - XXXX O365 Mailbox List Report.ps1 EngineVersion=5.1.17134.228 RunspaceId=6f2a43f8-2764-4d49-9158-c31bddc726fc PipelineId= CommandName= CommandType= ScriptName= CommandPath= CommandLine=\ \ \ [/pre] ---
**Author:** ![kvprasoon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/kvprasoon/32/4449_2.png) [@kvprasoon](https://forums.powershell.org/u/kvprasoon)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 9:13am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/5 "2018-11-12T09:13:07Z")
Can’t see anything which can close the shell, can you call the script from an existing console or debug it in PowerShell ISE or VSCode. ---
**Author:** ![js2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ebca7d/32.png) [@js2010](https://forums.powershell.org/u/js2010)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 9:32am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/6 "2018-11-12T09:32:35Z")
Try putting pause at the end. Are you running it on another computer? The convertto-securestring won’t work without a key in that case. ---
**Author:** ![jasonleech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@jasonleech](https://forums.powershell.org/u/jasonleech)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 9:41am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/7 "2018-11-12T09:41:08Z")
hi, it’s all from the same computer (my laptop) with access to the same pwd files etc. even adding a pause doesn’t stop the windows closing fairly rapidly! so hard to diagnose.   Thanks for all your help - I’ll try ISE and see if that works! ---
**Author:** ![jasonleech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@jasonleech](https://forums.powershell.org/u/jasonleech)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 9:44am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/8 "2018-11-12T09:44:07Z")
running inside ISE - works as expected, it’s just dropping the .ps1 into Powershell standard that’s got the problem…Confuseddotcom! ---
**Author:** ![kvprasoon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/kvprasoon/32/4449_2.png) [@kvprasoon](https://forums.powershell.org/u/kvprasoon)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 9:48am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/9 "2018-11-12T09:48:54Z")
Is there any code in this which is copied from some other source ? hidden special chars will give problems. ---
**Author:** ![js2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ebca7d/32.png) [@js2010](https://forums.powershell.org/u/js2010)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 9:50am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/10 "2018-11-12T09:50:08Z")
How exactly are you running the ps1 file? A .lnk shortcut with “powershell -file c:\users\me\script.ps1”? ---
**Author:** ![jasonleech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@jasonleech](https://forums.powershell.org/u/jasonleech)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 9:52am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/11 "2018-11-12T09:52:49Z")
Hi Js, I’ve opened the notepad script, then saved it as a .ps1. After that I just dragged it into Powershell’s shell. I have also right clicked and ‘run with powershell’…both do not run. But if I drag it into ISE, it works as expected! ---
**Author:** ![kvprasoon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/kvprasoon/32/4449_2.png) [@kvprasoon](https://forums.powershell.org/u/kvprasoon)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 9:57am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/12 "2018-11-12T09:57:59Z")
can you add **Start-Transcript c:\temp\temp.log** at the very beginning and execute once. ---
**Author:** ![jasonleech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@jasonleech](https://forums.powershell.org/u/jasonleech)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 10:07am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/13 "2018-11-12T10:07:34Z")
Thanks Kvprasoon, will try that now! ---
**Author:** ![jasonleech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@jasonleech](https://forums.powershell.org/u/jasonleech)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 10:09am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/14 "2018-11-12T10:09:33Z")
Sadly, doesn’t even log an event, just shuts donw poershell - far too quickly for me to grab anything useful! ---
**Author:** ![kvprasoon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/kvprasoon/32/4449_2.png) [@kvprasoon](https://forums.powershell.org/u/kvprasoon)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 10:45am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/15 "2018-11-12T10:45:39Z")
What is your execution policy ? Do a **Get-ExecutionPolicy** ---
**Author:** ![jasonleech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@jasonleech](https://forums.powershell.org/u/jasonleech)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 10:51am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/16 "2018-11-12T10:51:05Z")
hi, it’s ‘unrestricted’, as I checked that too, just in case it was ‘restricted’. ---
**Author:** ![kvprasoon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/kvprasoon/32/4449_2.png) [@kvprasoon](https://forums.powershell.org/u/kvprasoon)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 11:15am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/17 "2018-11-12T11:15:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Is there any code in this which is copied from some other source ? hidden special chars will give problems. Did you check this ? ---
**Author:** ![jasonleech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@jasonleech](https://forums.powershell.org/u/jasonleech)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 11:19am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/18 "2018-11-12T11:19:57Z")
Hi,   No hidden code, this is a script that I created from scratch, and as stated earlier, if I just copy from notepad, works fine, also in ISE. reall head scratching on this…wanted to just drag drop and run!   ---
**Author:** ![ta11ow](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.powershell.org/ta11ow/32/131_2.png) [@ta11ow](https://forums.powershell.org/u/ta11ow)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 11:37am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/19 "2018-11-12T11:37:24Z")
I think you’ll probably find that Notepad usually saves txt files in ANSI encoding, whereas PowerShell will expect UTF8 of some form… this usually isn’t a problem, but it can occasionally cause oddities like this. ---
**Author:** ![js2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ebca7d/32.png) [@js2010](https://forums.powershell.org/u/js2010)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 11:49am UTC](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659/20 "2018-11-12T11:49:05Z")
This will probably get off topic, but I’ve taken an interest in encoding. Powershell 5.1: I believe the default encoding is “ansi” (Windows-1251), definitely not ascii. Except out-file (including “\>” and “\>\>”) and tee encode by default in “unicode” (utf16). Cannot decode utf8 no bom (“no signature”) (at least special characters) Can decode utf8 with bom Powershell 6: Default encoding is utf8 no bom (there’s a way to reliably identify it) [Next page](https://forums.powershell.org/t/powershell-script-in-notepad-works-but-not-as-ps1/11659.md?page=2)